State grant to be used to expand Monterey County Jail

A $40 million inmate housing project to relieve jailhouse crowding is in the works thanks to a $36.3 million state grant.

Monterey County received the conditional grant last month from the Board of State and Community Corrections for the 288-bed expansion of the county jail.

The jail has a designed bed capacity of 825, but currently houses 1,150 inmates, according to the Sheriff's Office — 40 percent overcrowding.

That creates dangerous conditions for inmates, deputies and staff, the Sheriff's Office said.

The state grant requires a $4 million matching grant from the county. The county applied for the grant to the state Department of Corrections under Assembly Bill 900, the Phase II Local Jail Construction Financing Program.

The facility would be built on the northwest corner of the jail, land currently used as a staff parking lot and open grass area.

An open house to show the project site and preliminary architectural drawings of the facility will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday at 1414 Natividad Road, Salinas.